Anchovy Puffs
deanna1001
Photo by James Ransom
- Serves
- 4-5 dozen
I've beeen making these for so long I barely recall where I found the recipe - I think it was an old Bon Appetit (c. 1978ish?) The original recipe couldn't have been simpler - 3-ingredient dough and a tube of anchovy paste. I decided I could improve on the anchovy paste a little. Best part is they freeze really well and can just be popped into a hot oven for 8-10 minutes and voila! Everyone who has ever tasted these wants more, even those who profess to hate anchovies! They are the perfect blend of salty, creamy, puffy and are indeed a single bite.
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 ounce cream cheese (1 small package) softened
- 8 tablespoon unsalted butter (1 stick) softened
- 1 cup flour (all purpose)
Filling
- 2 tins anchovies - either flat or rolled with capers (drained)
- 2 teaspoon capers, drained (only if using flat anchovies)
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
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Directions
Instructions
- Step 1
Make dough: put all ingredients in food processor and process until dough forms a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap or in a plastic bag and flatten into a disk. Put in refrigerator for at least 1/2 hour. (Dough will hold for several days.)
- Step 2
Make filling: using either a small processor or a mortar and pestle, grind all ingredients into a paste. Put into a small sandwich bag and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour.
- Step 3
Preheat oven to 400º. Roll dough to 1/8" thick (do small amounts at a time and flour the board and rolling pin. A marble slab can be helpful or you can roll it between layers of wax paper - work quickly as the dough is sticky when warm.) Cut 2" circles. Reroll scraps and refrigerate as needed to make dough workable.
- Step 4
Cut a small bit off one corner of the filling bag and pipe a scant 1/4 tsp. of flling in the center of each dough circle. Fold them in half and crimp with a fork to seal. Bake on cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes until golden and puffed.
- Step 5
Wait a couple of minutes before sampling or you'll burn your mouth! To freeze: after forming the puffs put on cookie sheet and place in freezer for an hour. When frozen, put them into a ziplock. Cook as indicated for 10-11 minutes (no need to defrost.)